Last November, I posted a blog explaining my seven month absence. At the time, I truly thought I would resume blogging before the end of the year. I even shared a recipe for Hoppin' John just in time for New Year's Day. Unfortunately, after the first of the year, things got really complicated. Each day felt as though I was taking one step forward and two steps back. For the first time in over a year, I finally feel as though there's light at the end of the tunnel.
I've missed blogging. In addition to being a creative outlet for me, I thoroughly enjoy sharing recipes and corresponding with readers. Since things are brighter than they were this time last year, I'm ready to resume blogging. To be on the safe side, though, I've already written my first four posts. The hardest part was deciding which recipe to share first!
Since the beginning of my blog, I've tried to keep my personal life private. As I've written more than once, I'd like to think what I write is more important than the one doing the writing. I still feel that way, but I've had a change of heart. So many of you have been with me from the very beginning, I'd like you to know more about who I am without going into too much personal detail. It would be strange to interview myself, so a friend came up with the questions. So, without further ado, here goes.
Who is Margaret? I'm a wife. I met my husband in college 29 years ago in a world politics class. We've been married 21 years.
I'm a mother. My oldest son died 19 years ago. My middle son is a senior in high school. My youngest son isn't related to us biologically or legally, but it's the feelings, concern and admiration between two people that creates ties that bind, not flesh and blood. He considers me a mother figure in his life and I am proud to call him my son. He's a sophomore in high school.
I'm an employee. I've worked part time for a cookbook publisher since 2007.
I'm a volunteer. I serve on a church committee that provides opportunities for fellowship meals and events throughout the year. I work in the church kitchen during our week long Vacation Bible School helping prepare snacks for the children. Several times a year, my whole family helps other volunteers feed the homeless at a midtown church. I donate my time and work experience to organizations I believe in that want to create a cookbook to sell to raise funds for a good cause. I've been a volunteer field editor for Taste of Home magazine since 2002.
I'm a Southerner. I say please, thank you and y'all. My Southern roots run deep. My ancestors settled in the South when they immigrated to America from Ireland six generations ago. I've often wondered if they already knew someone who had immigrated to the South, or if they had plans to settle elsewhere, but fell in love with the South. I'll probably never know, but I'm proud to call the South home, y'all.
Have you always liked to cook? No! Growing up, I would rather have washed dishes than cooked! All that changed in my early 20's when I moved into my first apartment. Tired of microwaving frozen entrees, I decided to utilize my minuscule kitchen. I started by cooking the foods my mom cooked when I was growing up. Once I'd mastered those recipes, I started trying new recipes and -- as my confidence in the kitchen grew -- experimenting with recipes and cooking methods. As my passion for cooking grew, so did my cookbook collection!
What do you love most about cooking? I love using food to create family traditions and memories. My favorite food tradition is a bunny cake I started making at Easter when my son was a toddler. My family still expects to see that cake on the table every year at Easter. When my sons are grown, they may not remember which family members were at the house each holiday, but they'll remember what foods we ate!
Why do you blog? Most people know I love to cook, buy many don't know that I was a journalism major in college. My dream job was to have a newspaper food column like the one I used to read in the city where I spent my formative years. Unfortunately, cooking is a dying art and newspaper food sections are shrinking, or evenly disappearing entirely. I decided if I wanted to write about food, a blog was the best way to go about it in the 21st century. However, in an homage to the newspaper, I designed my blog -- from the title of each post to the content -- to resemble a newspaper food column.
If you've made it this far, thank you for reading the entire post. Now you know more about me, maybe more than you wanted to know! I'm truly grateful to those of you who have followed "Margaret's Morsels" from day one and I welcome those of you who are new. I may not post as frequently as other bloggers, but when I do you can be assured I've made the recipe numerous times and my family thinks it's a keeper. I'm glad to be back and will be sharing one of my mom's recipes later this week. It will be peachy!
© Margaret's Morsels
